Stress Management Techniques Are Perfect Stress Busters

By Christopher A. Hernandez


In our hectic day to day life, often we get exposed to stress. There are different reasons for our stress and there are various ways to alleviate it. Stress can create an imbalance in our personal and professional lives. Most of us often fail to understand the source or cause of such stress. It is essential to cope up with stress at various stages of our life to lead a healthy life with our dear ones.

Elimination of stress is unrealistic, since stress is a part of normal life. It is impossible to completely eliminate stress and it would not be advisable to do so. Some stress management techniques can be adapted to control the stress and its effects on physical and mental health. Managing stress is all about taking charge of your own thoughts, emotions, schedule and the way you deal with problems.

The most important stress management techniques are:Manage your time better: Poor time management causes a lot of stress. When you are running behind, it's hard to focus on learning. Make sure you do not over extend yourself.

Look at the big picture: Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run.Have role models: Emulate people who have had success that you admire. Learn about the struggles they have had during their career paths and the techniques they used to overcome difficult times.Be more assertive: Do not take a back seat in your life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. When you have got an exam to study for and your chatty room mates just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.

Practice self-hypnosis. It need only take a second or two to visit a calm place in nature, like a garden, beach, waterfall, and enjoy the sense of peace it brings, or to practice telling yourself some positive affirmations and statements. These are effective ways to manage stress, boost your inner peace and improve your self-esteem. Self hypnosis can act as a quick mini-break at times of pressure, when you're maybe needing to clear cluttered thinking and access a sense of calm, peace and clear thinking.Self-hypnosis can also provide a fast and effective way to draw a line between work and home. Some people find it hard to switch off at the end of the day. They find themselves constantly checking their phone or emails, unable to stop worrying or stressing about the latest project or task. Practice breathing techniques and self-hypnosis as an effective way of letting go of invasive thoughts and setting better habits in place.

The focus that you give the project helps to slow and relax your mind. When you are highly stressed it is likely that your mind works in high gear. This is a normal part of processing tension. The overall effect that slowing the mind down can usually be felt through the whole body. You can not concentrate on something pleasant while concentrating on being worked up.

By performing a task that is counter intuitive with being emotionally charged you give your whole body a chance to calm down. The adrenaline that your brain pumps into your system during periods of high emotions is eased back to normal levels. This lets your shoulders, abdominal muscles, and legs fall into a more comfortable state of being. A relaxed body has a harder time being emotionally engaged in negative interaction.

Then begin to become aware of a slight pause that spontaneously takes place at the end of each out-breath. Give yourself permission to remain here without rushing to take the next inhalation. Allow the next inhalation to surface when your body is ready to welcome it.Take pleasure in the comforting tranquility of the pause. Float peacefully in the silence of this pause between exhalation and inhalation, letting the breath happen of its own accord. Let the breath breathe you!

If you are just learning diaphragmatic breathing, it can be helpful to begin by lying on your back with your knees bent. In this posture, it is easier to feel "soft-belly", diaphragmatic breathing. Be mindful of the feeling of the belly rising with the inhalation and falling with the exhalation. Let the breath initiate that movement.You can also put your hands on your abdomen and breathe into their warmth. Feel how the weight of the hands goes up with inhalation and drops with exhalation. A thick book resting on the abdomen will create the same sensation.

Another wonderful way to find deep belly breath is to lie face down on your belly. In this position, the only way you can breathe is diaphragmatically.Lastly, it can sometimes be useful to let yourself sigh out loud with the out-breath. Sounding is a wonderful way to let go of stress and tension.Deep, diaphragmatic, soft-belly breathing has a profound effect on the body. Just three minutes of soft-belly breathing can shift your body out of Stress Response mode into the Relaxation Response! And if you can remain in that Relaxation Response for just 20 minutes each day, you will go a long way toward offsetting the destructive effects of chronic stress on your body.




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